


13th Day of Winter - Gifts Better Not Given

by unjaundiced



Series: Winter Spirits [16]
Category: Naruto
Genre: 25 Days of Christmas, 25 Days of Fic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5398166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unjaundiced/pseuds/unjaundiced
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everyone appreciates the term: It's the thought that counts.<br/>Set the year after Worth More Than Gold. They're 11 and 12. <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/5413913">Hunting and Gathering</a> may be read as a prequel to this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	13th Day of Winter - Gifts Better Not Given

"No.”  
  
Iruka ****looked up and waved a little piece of paper in Kakashi's face, the determined glare he bore made more pronounced by the scar that now danced across the bridge of his nose. He frowned.  
  
"Yes.”  
  
"No.” came the immediate response.  
  
"Kakashi, you have to get Obito-kun a present. He's your Secret Santa recipient,” Iruka said, trying to shove the piece of paper with Obito's name on it in Kakashi's face.  
  
"No.” Kakashi said again, pushing the paper away. “I told you already. I don't believe in that faker and I'm not going to be an emissary of his lies either.”  
  
Iruka crossed his arms and stared hard at his friend. Kakashi shrugged.  
  
"And I don't like that kid.” he admitted.  
  
"Kakashi!” Iruka exploded, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation.  
  
"Well, I _don't_ ," ****Kakashi protested, stepping back as the other boy seemed to flail about in dismay.  
  
"It's for school! Even if you _don't_ believe in Santa—which you _should—_ you can't just _not_ get something for Obito-kun. It wouldn't be fair!” Iruka wailed, clutching at Kakashi's arm and shaking it.  
  
"How about I just switch the names around so he and Rin-san get each other. Then I don't have to buy him—” Kakashi was shaken with more wailing.  
  
"How can you switch the names around when it's a Secret Santa between classes 6-A and 6-B , _Kakashiiiiii_ ,” Iruka groaned, shaking the other boy's arm with every word.  
  
"Stop shaking my arm,” Kakashi demanded, yanking his arm away and sidestepping as the brunet lunged for it.  
  
"Kakashi. You. Can't. Do. This!” Iruka punctuated each word with an ominous step forwards before he leapt at the other boy.  
  
"Oh geez,” Kakashi mumbled, jumping out of the way, wheeling about wildly as he ran into someone.  
  
"Kakashi-kun, what are you playing?” Kushina asked as she entered the house, tilting her head curiously at the panicked looking boy.  
  
"I'm not—"

Kakashi darted around her as Iruka reached for his sleeve and shot out the door.  
  
"Grr, I'll get him,” Iruka promised, the line of his scar bunching adorably as he pushed his sleeves up to his elbow.  
  
"You go, tiger,” Minato chuckled, sidling out of the way as the brunet charged out the door with a battle cry.  
  
"Are they still at it?” Sakumo poked his head into the hallway and looked around for the boys.  
  
"You know how they are.” Minato grinned, pointing towards the door. A muffled shout of “too slow!” made its way in.  
  
"They'll kiss and make up within the hour,” Kushina promised, tossing her bag on the couch before jumping beside it.  
  
"Yes, do come and jump on my furniture. I'll appreciate it more in pieces,” Sakumo deadpanned, shaking a wooden spoon at her. She stuck out her tongue, making him sigh.  
  
  
Ten minutes later and Kakashi and Iruka thundered through the living room, plowing their way through the maze of books Kushina had spread out on the floor before almost taking out the Christmas tree. While Kushina was busy babbling about the library fees for damaged books, the boys disentangled themselves and popped up, ready to run again. Then Iruka saw it.  
  
There was a rather eerie, but artistically displayed set of eyes on stalks next to the television. The bright green eyes seemed to stare at the room in constant assessment; seeming to take everything in without moving at all.  
  
Iruka moved slightly to the left, then to the right; his eyes on the eyes. He bobbed slightly up and down and still the eyes seemed to follow him. He tilted his head and shook it.  
  
"What are you doing?” Kakashi muttered, taking a worried step forward.  
  
"Are those your eyes?” Iruka pointed at the model.  
  
"Yeah, those are mine.” Kakashi scrubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. “Why?”  
  
"Those are seriously cool,” Iruka chirped, grinning broadly. “You should give that to Obito-kun.”  
  
"No way,” Kakashi blurted out, cheeks pinkening when the other boy threw him a curious look. “They're my eyes. He can't have them.” He protested dumbly.  
  
"Kakashi, can I borrow them?” Iruka's eyes widened and he stared hard at Kakashi, looming closer.  
  
"Stop that!” Kakashi flushed and backed away, almost ending up in the Christmas tree.  
  
" _Pleeeeaaaaase ,_ ” Iruka wheedled. “I won't ask you for anything else.”  
  
"If I say yes, will you stop that?” Kakashi pointed to Iruka's quivering lip. “You're really freaking me out!”  
  
Iruka's face smoothed into a triumphant expression and he threw his fist in the air with a whoop. Kakashi groaned in defeat and carefully picked up the eye model, holding it out as if it was a religious idol being offered in sacrifice.  
  
"You'd better not give it to Obito-kun and say it's from his Secret Santa,” Kakashi grumped, pointing imperiously. “I'm giving it to _you_ , not that weirdo.”  
  
"Don't worry! I'll take good care of your eyes! I have something cool planned!” Iruka promised, gently cradling the model in his hands.  
  
"See that you do.” Kakashi frowned at the model and crossed his arms.  
  
  
Iruka _didn't_ give the eyes to Obito, but a present _did_ arrive from a Secret Santa on the gift exchange day—something that surprised Kakashi because he really didn't intend to participate in the farce of Christmas at all and he had spent quite a long time thinking of a really good excuse for why Obito wouldn't be getting anything from his Secret Santa—He had a really good story worked out involving a werewolf and an alien tractor beam that was going to be wasted.  
  
All the students in classes 6-A and 6-B milled around the Uchiha boy's desk curiously, wondering what could be in the odd black and white striped box. Gai was being obnoxious again and was practically climbing on the desk so he could be the first to see what would be revealed.  
  
Obito couldn't quite work out how the red and orange ribbon decoration worked though and snarled it into a huge knot—exasperating his audience who reacted with a chorus of groans—before Rin took pity on him and helped him to undo the mess. Everyone leaned in and blinked.  
  
"Are those bones?” Gai blurted out, pointing a sticky candy cane syrup-coated finger at the strange pattern the black and white lines made at the top of the box, interlocking in a manner that _really_ looked like skeletal fingers.  
  
Obito paled. He _really_ hated the sight of bones and gory things in general.  
  
"Well, open it up!” Rin nudge him encouragingly. He took a steadying breath and peeled back the flaps on the box—which indeed were interlocking finger bones cut into the box itself—and screamed before jumping at Rin and clutching at her arm frantically. She peered in and pouted.  
  
In the bony-handed box was a bed of eyes staring up at the sky, each carefully and intricately painted to look _very_ real. There were blue eyes, green eyes, and brown and gray and black eyes. The oddest thing of all was the red eye. It sat right in the middle and _stared_ almost accusingly. Strange black flecks swirled around the iris, almost moving under the classroom lights.  
  
"Man,” Rin said, looking meaningfully at Kakashi. “I wish someone had given _me_ a box full of eyes. That would have been the greatest thing ever!”  
  
"Why would anyone want a bunch of eyes,” Kakashi groused, ignoring her. “It's not like you need more than two anyhow.”  
  
A very pale and shaky Obito magnanimously offered Rin his box full of eyes and was rewarded with a hug that turned him into a blushing stuttering mess. As he stumbled back and tripped over a chair, Kakashi mentally thanked his own personal elf for the great gift of seeing the annoying Uchiha so over-set and the lovestruck Rin thoroughly distracted for once.  
  
He figured he owed Iruka one.  
  
Maybe he'd give him a spine.

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted on Livejournal in 2011 as part of the annual 12 or 25 Days of Christmas challenge. The story takes place by years and utilises Japanese honourifics as a necessity. I tried to use canonical names wherever possible and created original character names as needed.
> 
> Due to the conditions at the time, the writing is a bit clunky but will largely remain unedited.


End file.
